Earlier this week, 92.3 The Fan morning show host Ken Carman said he couldn’t be convinced the national media’s reaction to the Browns acquiring Deshaun Watson would have been as critical if another team traded for him. Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer refuted that there was an anti-Cleveland bias, but did understand Carman’s logic while discussing the matter with the Dustin Fox and Nick Wilson Wednesday afternoon.
After pointing out that virtually any team who traded for Watson, who was found by the NFL to have violated the league’s Personal Conduct Policy after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual impropriety, was going to face backlash, Breer did concede that some coaches would receive more benefit of the doubt than others.
“There might be a couple of coaches who have such capital when it comes to these sorts of things that it might be viewed differently, and I think the problem the Browns have — this is not even the fault of the guys who are there that haven’t been there that long — but its really easy to tie things that have happened with Deshaun to things that have happened over the last 20 years.
“If Kansas City acquired him, it would be very easy to say ‘Look how Michael Vick turned out’. That went really well (being coached by now-Chiefs head coach Andy Reid) so why won’t this go well?’ I think it’s just as easy to tie the Deshaun Watson stuff to what’s gone on in Cleveland.”
Breer also noted Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin as someone who would receive more benefit of the doubt for trading for Watson for being know as a high integrity coach and his experiences in working with players who had been viewed as difficult or a distraction.
